Adapter for a trash removal opening of an open end spinning machine

ABSTRACT

An exchangeable adapter is provided for reducing the size of a trash removal opening of an opening roller housing in open-end spinning arrangements. The said adapter comprises two semi-spherical supporting surfaces at a distance to one another for positioning the adapter on corresponding rounded countersurfaces. The adapter comprises further a curved fiber guiding surface corresponding to the curve of an opening roller as well as a boundary wall for reducing the size of the trash removal opening arranged directly upstream of the fiber guiding surface. The adapter is made from profiled bars and cut to the required effective width. The fiber guiding surface can be provided with a recess which is connected with the external atmosphere and which permits the entry of air into the opening roller housing.

This application claims the priority of German applications 103 22392.4, filed May 12, 2003, and 103 47 480.3, filed Sep. 30, 2003, thedisclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exchangeable adapter for open-endspinning arrangements for reducing a trash removal opening of an openingroller housing, said adapter comprising two semi-circular supportingsurfaces for clamping the adapter onto corresponding curvedcountersurfaces, also comprising a curved fiber guiding surfacecorresponding to the curve of an opening roller, and comprising aboundary wall for reducing the size of the trash removal opening, saidboundary wall being arranged directly upstream of the fiber guidingsurface.

Trash removal openings in opening roller housings for open-end spinningarrangements are standard in the industry today. They serve on the onehand to separate the trash particles from the opened fiber material. Onthe other hand, the trash removal openings are simultaneously used asopenings to feed in the necessary air required for the spinning process.Both processes are known in the spinning industry. It has been shown,however, that such trash removal openings can present unnecessaryproblems in the transport of some fiber materials, in particular whenrelatively clean fiber material is to be spun or when the opened singlefibers are so short that there is a risk that fiber material will alsobe expelled. In particular in the processing of linen or regenerativematerial, trash removal openings can present a problem.

It was known early on in German published patent 19 22 078 to providetrash removal openings with a regulatory closing piece which is adaptedto the shape of the wall of the opening roller housing and with whichthe trash removal opening can be partly or entirely closed.

It is known in German published patent application 42 25 668 to borderthe trash removal opening on its exit side with a trash guiding wallwhich can be swivelled. By means of positioning the trash guiding wallat different angles, various air currents are known to be produced.

Both these variations are very complicated and have not found any placein practical use.

An exchangeable adapter for open-end spinning arrangements for reducingthe size of a trash removal opening of an opening roller housing isknown from prior notorious use in a machine built for use in thespinning industry, said prior use being undocumented. The preamble ofthe main claim of the present invention is based on such an adapter. Theknown adapter comprises two semi-circular supporting surfaces arrangedat a distance to one another, with which the adapter can be clamped ontocorresponding curved countersurfaces which border a trash removalopening on its exit side. The known adapter comprises a curved fiberguiding surface with corresponds to the curve of the opening roller,which fiber guiding surface extends the periphery wall of the openingroller housing surrounding the opening roller, thus reducing the size ofthe trash removal opening. The known adapter comprises further aboundary wall, arranged directly upstream of the fiber guiding surface,at the end of the trash removal opening.

Exchangeable adapters of this type can be applied to the opening rollerhousings as required or removed therefrom. This can be done by hand, andas a rule, tools are not needed. The known adapter has the disadvantage,however, that because of its method of fabrication, it is not suitablefor being produced in large numbers, as it is made by means of millingits contours. It is also not suitable for permitting the feeding of airoutside of the reduced trash removal opening.

It is an object of the present invention to create an adapter of theabove mentioned type, which can be manufactured cost-effectively inlarge numbers, and which also permits the feed of air for the spinningprocess if required.

This object is achieved in that the adapter is fabricated from profiledbars and cut to match the required effective width of the fiber guidingsurface and the boundary wall.

In the case of the profiled bars, an extruded, open profile made oflight metal is preferably involved here, which comprises the necessaryouter contours. These comprise on the one hand the necessary supportingsurfaces for clamping the adapter onto countersurfaces as well as thenecessary fiber guiding surface and the boundary wall. The profiledbars, produced in long lengths, are cut according to the requiredeffective width of the opening roller housing, whereby minor re-working,for example, deburing, is subsequently necessary on the front sides. Theeffective width of the fiber guiding surface and the boundary wall havesuch dimensions that the adapter can be inserted flush between thelateral walls of the opening roller housing. Due to the special methodof production, the supporting surfaces are as wide as the fiber guidingsurface and the boundary wall. The profile is so designed that the fiberguiding surface graduates into boundary wall with a distinctive radius.

As exchangeable adapters according to the present invention can bemanufactured cost-effectively in large numbers, it is possible to haveadapters with various profiles to hand in a spinning mill. For example,a complete set of different adapters can be provided with which thetrash removal opening on the opening roller housing can be reduced insize in a variety of ways.

Independently of the manufacturing process, that is, also applicablewith the known adapter, it can be provided that the fiber guidingsurface is provided with a recess which permits the entry of air, saidrecess being connected to the external atmosphere. Thus a type ofby-pass opening is created which generates, in addition to the air fedthrough the trash removal opening, a further opening for the feeding ofadditional air for the spinning process, but without any fibers beingexpelled therefrom.

As expelled trash particles travel at a high speed and are veryaggressive, it is advantageous when the fiber guiding surfaces and theboundary wall of the adapter, including the transition area betweenthem, are provided with a wear-resistant coating.

If the bars do not consist of light metal, but rather are made from aplastic injection moulded part, a coating for the prevention of wear onthe surface is indispensable. The coating can be a metal alloy orceramic.

As the opening roller, provided with a needle or saw-toothed combingmeans, and located in the opening roller housing, can hinder the removalof the adapter, it can be advantageous in a further embodiment of thepresent invention when the adapter is provided with a web on its sidefacing away from the fiber guiding surface, said web comprising anengaging surface for a removal tool. In the case of such an engagingsurface, a simple bore hole can be involved here. In the case of anappropriate embodiment of the adapter and its supporting surfaces,dismantling the adapter can, as a rule, take place without the use of atool. The bore hole can serve at the same time to connect the abovementioned recess to the external atmosphere.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and further objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an intersection of a side view of an opening roller housingwithout an adapter,

FIG. 2 is a partial view of FIG. 1 in the area of a trash removalopening, which is reduced in size by means of a clamped-on adapter,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clampable adapter,

FIG. 4 is a profiled bar having a longer length, from which the adapteraccording to the present invention is produced by means of cutting,

FIG. 5 is a perspective depiction similar to FIG. 3 of anotherembodiment of an adapter,

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of an adapter which permits the feeding ofair,

FIG. 7 is a view of the adapter in the direction of arrow VII of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a view of the adpater along the intersectional surfaceVIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement in which the adapter according to thepresent invention is not yet inserted. This arrangement serves to openfed, sliver-like fiber material 1 to single fibers 2 and comprises anopening roller 3 which is fitted with a toothed combing means, whichopening roller 3 rotates in rotational direction A in an opening rollerhousing 4.

The fiber material 1 is fed in feed direction B by means of a feedroller 5 rotating in rotational direction C to the opening roller 3. Afeed table 6 is pressed against the periphery of the feed roller 5 inthe known way, the swivel axle and weighting spring of said feed table 6are not shown. The feed roller 5 presents the sliver-like fed fibermaterial 1 to the combing means of the opening roller 3 in the form of afiber beard 7, out of which the single fibers 2 are opened.

The fiber beard 7 is held to the combing means of the opening roller 3by means of a fiber beard support 8, which can be a part of the openingroller housing 4. The fiber beard support 8 and remaining parts of theopening roller housing 4 form a circumferential wall 9 which surroundsthe periphery of the opening roller 3. This circumferential wall 9 ispositioned so close to the combing means of the opening roller 3 thatthe single fibers 2 transported by the opening roller 3 remain in thecombing means until they reach a fiber delivery point 10. A fiber feedchannel 11, connected to a vacuum source, is arranged downstream of thefiber delivery point 10 in the known way, via said fiber feed channel 11the single fibers 2 are fed to a twist device (not shown), for examplean open-end spinning rotor.

A known trash removal opening 12, provided as standard, is locatedbetween the fiber beard support 8 and the fiber delivery point 10 in thecircumferential wall 9, which trash removal opening 12 is, as a rule,connected to the external atmosphere, whereby the air E is fed to thefiber feed channel 11. The trash removal opening 12 is bordered intransport direction of the single fibers 2 by a removal edge 13, fromwhich point the circumferential wall 9 is continued.

Between the removal edge 13 and the fiber delivery point 10 a furtherair inlet opening 14 is advantageously provided, at which in flow-indirection F in addition to the in-coming air E, further in-coming air isfed. In the opening roller housing 4 an air channel 15 is provided foradditional air.

As mentioned above, there are certain fiber materials, for example linenor regenerated materials, for which trash removal openings 12 having theusual dimensions are more disadvantageous. For this reason, it isprovided in FIG. 2 that the trash removal opening 12 is reduced in sizeby means of an exchangeable adapter 16, which is manufactured fromprofiled bars and cut to the required effective width in a way describedbelow.

In FIG. 2, a part of the opening roller 3 can be seen, further theopening roller housing 4 having a circumferential wall 9 and a fiberbeard support 8 and the reduced trash removal opening 12. Theexchangeable adapter 16 comprises two semi-circular supporting surfaces17 and 18 which are at a distance to one another, with which, as can beseen, the adapter 16 can be clamped onto corresponding curvedcountersurfaces of the opening roller housing 4. The adapter 16comprises a curved fiber guiding surface 19 which corresponds to thecurve of the opening roller 3, which fiber guiding surface 19 extendscontinuously the circumferential wall 9 of the opening roller housing 4,and which graduates at a curved transition area 22 into a boundary wall20, which closes the reduced trash removal opening 12 on its exit side.

As can be seen in FIG. 2 and denoted by a dotted line, the fiber guidingsurface 19 and the boundary wall 20, including the transition area 22,can be provided with a wear-resistant coating 21.

It can be provided further that the adapter 16 is provided with a web 23on its side facing away from the fiber guiding surface 19, which web 23comprises an engaging surface 24, for example a bore hole, for a toolfor disassembling the adapter 16.

In FIG. 3 an adapter 16 is perspectively shown. The supporting surfaces17 and 18 can be seen, further the fiber guiding surface 19, theboundary wall 20 as well as the web 23, in this case without a bore holefor a tool. The effective width of the adapter 16 is denoted by theletter x. This relates first and foremost to the fiber guiding surface19 and the boundary wall 20, but also, due to the manufacturing processthereof, to the supporting surfaces 17 and 18.

In FIG. 4 a part of a long profiled bar 25 is shown perspectively, whichis cut into the individual adapters 16 having the required effectivewidth x, the front sides of the adapter 16 having thereafter minorre-working. The distinctive radius r between the fiber guiding surface19 and the boundary wall 20 can also be seen.

The profiled bars 25 are preferably extruded out of a light metal. Thispermits the profiles with the desired contours to be made. The recess 26seen in FIG. 4 of the open profile does not have any practical functionand could well have a different form.

Such a different embodiment of the profile can be seen in the adapter 27of FIG. 5. This differently designed adapter 27 comprises bothsupporting surfaces 17 and 18, as described above, as well as the fiberguiding surface 19 and the boundary wall 20. The profile has, however, adifferent design, in particular the web 23 seen in FIG. 3 is missing.Instead another web 28 is present between the supporting surfaces 17 and18, which web 28 comprises a small recess 29 between the supportingsurfaces 17 and 18. This altered adapter 27 is also made from profiledbars and cut to the desired effective width x.

With the aid of FIGS. 6 to 8, a further embodiment of an adapter 31 isdescribed, which does not necessarily have to be made according to theprocess described above and which can be preferably applied to openroller housings 30 which do not comprise the addition air opening 14described above according to FIG. 1. Adapters 31 of this type differalso in design from the above acknowledged prior art.

On the one hand, the reduction in size of the trash removal opening 12by means of the adapter 31 avoids the above mentioned disadvantagesduring spinning of certain types of fiber material, on the other hand itreduces the amount of additional air, insofar as this is fed in to agreat extent through the trash removal opening. Further advantage can begained when, according to the present invention, the adapter 31 in thefiber guiding surface 19 comprises a recess 32, which permits the entryof additional air. The connection to the external atmosphere is ensuredby an additional air opening 33 located in the web 23.

1. Exchangeable adapter for open-end spinning arrangements for reducinga trash removal opening of an opening roller housing, said adaptercomprising two semi-circular supporting surfaces for clamping theadapter onto corresponding curved countersurfaces, also comprising acurved fiber guiding surface corresponding to the curve of an openingroller, and comprising a boundary wall for reducing the size of thetrash removal opening, said boundary wall being arranged directlyupstream of the fiber guiding surface, wherein the adapter is made fromprofiled bars and cut to the required effective width (x) of the fiberguiding surface and the boundary wall.
 2. Adapter according to claim 1,wherein the fiber guiding surface and the boundary wall, including thetransition area between them, are provided with a coating.
 3. Adapteraccording to claim 1, wherein said adapter is provided on its sidefacing away from the fiber guiding surface with a web, which comprisesan engaging surface for a disassembling tool.
 4. Adapter according toclaim 2, wherein said adapter is provided on its side facing away fromthe fiber guiding surface with a web, which comprises an engagingsurface for a disassembling tool.
 5. Exchangeable adapter for open-endspinning arrangements for reducing a trash removal opening of an openingroller housing, said adapter comprising two semi-circular supportingsurfaces for clamping the adapter onto corresponding curvedcountersurfaces, comprising a rounded fiber guiding surfacecorresponding to the curve of an opening roller, and comprising aboundary wall for reducing the size of the trash removal opening, saidboundary wall being arranged directly upstream of the fiber guidingsurface, wherein the fiber guiding surface is provided with a recess forpermitting the entry of air, said recess being connected to the externalatmosphere.
 6. An exchangeable adapter for reducing a trash removalopening of an opening roller housing, comprising: two semi-circularsupporting surfaces for clamping the adapter onto corresponding curvedcountersurfaces of the roller housing; a curved fiber guiding surfacecorresponding to the curve of an opening roller; and a boundary wall forreducing the size of the trash removal opening, said boundary wall beingarranged directly upstream of the fiber guiding surface, wherein theadapter is made from a profiled bar.
 7. The adapter according to claim6, wherein the fiber guiding surface and the boundary wall meet at atransition area.
 8. The adapter according to claim 7, wherein the fiberguiding surface, the boundary wall and the transition area are providedwith a wear-resistant coating.
 9. The adapter according to claim 6,wherein said adapter is provided on a side facing away from the fiberguiding surface with a web into which a disassembling tool may beengaged for removal of the adapter from the roller housing.
 10. Theadapter according to claim 8, wherein said adapter is provided on a sidefacing away from the fiber guiding surface with a web into which adisassembling tool may be engaged for removal of the adapter from theroller housing.
 11. The adapter according to claim 6, wherein the fiberguiding surface is provided with a recess for permitting the entry ofair, said recess being connected to the external atmosphere.
 12. Theadapter according to claim 8, wherein the fiber guiding surface isprovided with a recess for permitting the entry of air, said recessbeing connected to the external atmosphere.